Welcome to EastWest Airlines (VA) Australia - Next Generation. On 12th August, 2007, EWA as it is popularly and affectionately known, celebrated 10 years of Virtual Airline operations. A milestone in the VA world, there are few having reached it and many having fallen well short. The fact that EWA reached and passed that milestone is thanks to many dedicated and enthusiastic people having supported this great Australian VA over those ten years. Those having contributed to managing EastWest know that in its heyday there was none better and in many respects there still isn't. Pilots who remained loyal and committed to this humble VA knew they were part of something very special.

Right - our 10th Birthday Event, though much less well supported than it deserved - was a standout highlight of our first 10 years of Virtual Airline operations. Here, F27 VH-EWA departs VVTS.		 F27 VH-EWA departs VVTS on our 10th Birthday Event
ZK-NEJ at NZNS As we approached our 10th Birthday, it became clear that for EastWest to continue in an environment where active participation in its activities had significantly declined, particularly in the area of active pilots flying scheduled passenger and cargo services, we had to try something radically different or, as many others have done, close down. Because EWA has been a prominent and effective player in the Virtual Airline world, particularly in the Oceania region of online flying, it would be a great shame were the worst to happen and the doors close.

Left - our EastWest New Zealand livery is quite striking but sadly our Kiwi members have all drfited away without so much as a "see you later." Such discouraging lack of loyalty, commitment and participation occurred almost across the board and saw this great VA brought to the brink of closure.
A choice was made to move in a radically different direction which may prove to be a trendsetter for others finding themselves in decline and facing closure. We now only offer a range of passenger and cargo schedules and a fleet of aircraft to utilise if required. The hope is that the virtual pilot dropping by our Web Site will find a flight and/or aircraft that he or she feels like flying and - if flying online on a network such as VATSIM, IVAO, or FSFDT  - that the EastWest flight number be used (EWA### for passenger and EWF### for cargo). Simple and straightforward with no complicated flight bidding and/or reporting requirements, no minimum flight hours below which a "please explain" is sent to flight crew and no career structure/path to be followed. In order to offer these things on an up-to-date Web Site, a VA needs people with the time, skills and inclination to run the VA and maintain the Site. In our 10th year with only a handful of active pilots left flying the flag and no-one offering/wanting to run the show, this is the direction we identified as most practical in the circumstances. In this way, the EastWest name that means so much to the loyal, dedicated group that stuck with it to the end of stage one is proudly carried on into stage two.

Right - Boeing 767-300ER VH-RNA at Bangkok (VTBS) on its way to Istanbul Ataturk on our annual Gallipoli Charter. On Anzac Day each year we hold a commemorative flypast of Anzac Cove at 11.00am.		 Boeing 767-300ER VH-RNA at VTBS
Group Flight - at YBWP Our hope is that our strength - group flying online - will continue to draw interest and participation. Our credentials in this area are outstanding and it is reasonable to claim we raised the bar and set a new standard in group flying on the VATSIM network in the VATPAC Region. We invite you to join us on these group flights, details of which can be found in our Group Flights Forum. Also, mentoring is available for those new to the world of online flying. If you find the learning curve a bit daunting, think about asking for mentoring through our Forums and we will do our best to get you capable and confident flying on the VATSIM network. This also extends to flight training in payware aircraft whose systems make them complicated to fly. Being experienced in the PMDG, PSS and Level-D aircraft, we can help you attain a high standard of professionalism through a series of online flying programs. So, if you are annoyed and/or frustrated by the slow progress you are making in getting your head around all there is to know about this awesome and addictive activity, we can help.

Left - Arguably the best Group Flight EWA ran was put together by former member Paul Phibbs. "The Great Aussie Crawl" saw us fly anti-clockwise around the Australian coast and achieved an excellent participation rate. Well done, Paul!
Finally, a word about the future. Through what little remains of 2007 and into 2008 our "Australian Spirit" livery will be carried through our aircraft fleet which can be downloaded from our FS2004 Aircraft Forum. A decision about offering an FSX-specific fleet is yet to be made. It depends on the quality of freeware and payware aircraft that will become available for that version of Flight Simulator. Also, there is a lot of time and effort involved in providing a version-specific fleet for each Flight Simulator release. For the moment, our painting efforts are focused on completing our FS9 aircraft. With Singapore Airlines accepting handover of its first Airbus A380 aircraft in Toulouse, France on October 15, 2007, a new era in passenger aviation began. EastWest took delivery of its first A380 VH-EBA that same day. The aircraft was ferried non-stop from Toulouse to our Maintenance Base at Emerald Lake where it was prepared for entry into revenue passenger service which occurred on October 28, 2007 - the same day Singapore Airlines put its first A380 into scheduled service. EWA will also be replacing some of its ageing B767 fleet with B787 Dreamliners when QANTAS begins taking delivery of its 787 aircraft. More details on fleet changes, ferry flights and schedules can be found on our Operations Forum.

Right - The future is here, now! EWA can proudly claim to be the only Oz-based VA to recognise the historical significance of the A380's first revenue flight, SQ380 Singaapore-Sydney-Singapore on October 25 and 26, 2007. We also claim to be the first VA to introduce the A380 into scheduled service. 		A380 VH-EBA turns at SCO inbound Sydney
Boeing 747-400F VH-EBH lands at Taipei
EWA continues to set the pace in being the first Oz-based VA to announce its direct passenger services from Sydney to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games. We previously introduced an A330 service Brisbane to Abu Dhabi and no doubt are the first to introduce an A330 service from the Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur Sepang as happened real world on November 2nd, 2007 when AirAsia X began operating the route. The Cargo review (B744F) is ongoing but will take longer than anticipated. When completed, EastWest Cargo will be a significant player in the virtual cargo world. Who knows where the next few years will take us? One thing is certain, however, EastWest is there for the long haul and hopefully will celebrate its 20th Anniversary in 2014. What will the virtual aviation world be like then?

Left - The Boeing 747-400F is the mainstay of our International cargo services. Currently under review, when completed our cargo operations will be as goood as or better than those offered by our sister Australian VAs..


Thank you for your interest in EastWest Airlines (VA) Australia and its subsidiaries, EastWest Asia/Pacific, EastWest Cargo and EastWest New Zealand. We invite you to crew our passenger and/or cargo flights as you feel inclined and hope our new generation strategy will enhance your enjoyment of both flight simulation and online flying.

Andrew Watson
General Manager
EastWest Airlines (VA) Australia

Boeing 747-400 ZK-NBU taxies at Auckland

Above - Boeing 747-400F ZK-NBU taxies at Auckland.